iPhone 16 to Get Major AI Boost with M2 Ultra Chip

TLDR: iPhone 16 to get major AI boost with M2 Ultra chip, combining on-device and cloud processing. Apple’s server project aims to ensure user privacy. Details are expected at WWDC 2024 and iPhone 16 launch. Apple accelerates the timeline to compete with rivals in the AI space.

The iPhone is set to go hard on AI this year. Rumours suggest the iPhone 16 will come with AI-powered features, and iOS 18 will have a heavy emphasis on AI. A new report says Apple will power these AI features with help from the M2 Ultra chip.

On-Device AI vs. Cloud Processing

Previous reports claimed Apple would emphasize on-device AI, with the A17 Pro doing all the work without sending information to a cloud server. However, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg paints a different picture.

Some AI features will be processed by external servers, aided by the M2 Ultra chip.

High-End Chips in Cloud Computing Servers

According to Gurman, Apple is using high-end chips similar to those designed for the Mac in cloud computing servers. These servers will process the most advanced AI tasks coming to Apple devices.

The first version of these servers will use the M2 Ultra, which powered the Mac Pro and Mac Studio. A future version could be powered by the new AI-centric M4 chip.

Simple vs. Complicated AI Tasks

Other features will be processed directly on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. Gurman speculates that “simple AI tasks” like summarizing notifications or messages could be done on-device.

More complicated tasks will require the use of the cloud.

He suggests generating images, summarizing long news articles, and creating “long-form responses in emails” as examples where the cloud may be required. Similarly, the rumored AI upgrade for Siri would likely require a connection to the cloud.

Privacy Concerns

All the rumours so far claimed that Apple was emphasizing on-device AI for privacy reasons. Data can’t be intercepted or inappropriately accessed if it stays on your phone or computer.

Considering Apple’s privacy-based philosophy, a server-based AI system seems antithetical to those ideas.

Apple’s Server Project for User Privacy

Sources claim Apple has been working on a server project with components designed to ensure user privacy, code-named ADC or Apple Chips in Data Centers.

While many specifics aren’t known, this apparently involved an approach called Secure Enclave that can isolate data in the event of a breach.

Apple will also rely on its own data centers at first, though that capacity will reportedly be bolstered by third-party facilities in the future.

Accelerating the Timeline

Gurman claims this plan has been in the works for around three years, with Apple accelerating the timeline after AI started hitting the mainstream. All to better compete with its rivals, including Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

How this has changed Apple’s AI plans isn’t clear, though it would explain why it seems to have fallen behind the likes of Google and Microsoft in the AI space.

Waiting for Apple’s AI Announcement

We won’t know for sure what’s going on until Apple announces its AI plans to the public. It’s likely we’ll hear the first of these details at WWDC 2024 next month.

Other information may not be announced until the iPhone 16 launch later this year.

Stay tuned.